


Between Love and Abuse

by Weldlys



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst, Character Death, Domestic Violence, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fell is an asshole, M/M, Underfell Papyrus, Underfell Sans, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans, Unhealthy Relationships, in the middle of all this there is spicyhoney fluff because i'm trash, like it's really a big mess, multiverse mess, my summary are getting worse and worse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:59:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12918201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weldlys/pseuds/Weldlys
Summary: There are two versions of the Underfell brothers. One where Papyrus is a good brother to Sans. And one where he is not. One day, these two versions meet.





	Between Love and Abuse

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one chapter thing under 2500 words for a fic raffle thing I did on my tumblr. And then @fishfishfishfish said : "some people portray fell bros as abusive, mostly papy being abusive towards sansy, but some other people portray them as really caring for each other. so what if they're actually 2 separate timelines and they were given the chance to meet?" And this idea is so good! I needed to write more than one chapter about it XD
> 
> Please mind the tag! 
> 
> [SheenaKazia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SheenaKazia/pseuds/SheenaKazia) beta read me! Thank you for your help!

It had been snowing all day. Now, the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow. Red liked the white landscape. It always brought back memories of his Snowdin. Underfell never was a happy place, but Red liked Snowdin either way. Despite everything, he kept some precious memories of himself and his brother playing in the snow of the little town. However, he was thankful that it was not snowing anymore. When he looked up at the sky, there were no clouds but only a clear sky. Perfect to see the stars. And that was exactly what was planned.

Red was currently walking alone in the woods. The only sounds he could hear were his own breathing and footsteps in the snow. Someone else might have been creeped out, being alone in the silent forest at night. Red did not mind. He had seen way worse. Moreover, the idea of joining his boyfriend cheered him up. He was supposed to meet Sans on the small hill next to the forest. This hill was the perfect spot to watch the stars. It was not their first date here. They both liked to lay down next to each other to watch the stars, holding hands and exchanging puns. A lazy date their brothers would say. But it certainly did not prevent them from coming here from time to time. 

Speaking of which, what time was it? It was already dark, but it was only because it was the winter. Red knew that it was surely not that late. Nevertheless, he moved a little faster. Sans must be already waiting for him. Maybe he should take a shortcut now? But as he thought about it, -maybe teleporting would be easier?- the atmosphere changed. He slowed down a little. Suddenly, something felt wrong. He lived most of his life as a prey. With his low hp, everyone thought that they could sneak up on him and kill him easily. He knew when he was being hunted. He could not hear any footsteps, whoever that was, they were very careful. But he could feel their eyes on him. He stopped moving, listening, watching. Who could that be? Nor Stretch or Sans were not into this kind of prank. And he was in the Undertale world. Humans had accepted monster. Unless he was being mistaken for some kind of animals? With his red jacket on, it was unlikely. Then… Another monster? Why would they try to scare him that way? No. That was not just scaring. Whoever that was, they meant harm. But he did not have the chance to think more about it.

He moved away suddenly. A red bone was planted on the ground, at the exact spot where he was a few seconds ago. Red dodged the attack only thanks to his instinct. Despite the years of peace, they were always inside him and that might just save his life. He looked at the red bone which was slowly fading away. That attack… Beside himself, he knew only one other monster able to do it.

“Boss?!” Fuck! His brother was an asshole, but would he really attack him like this? He knew, he was certain, that they were the only one who could use that attack. But something did not feel right.

And he saw him. Edge went down from a tree, jumping into the snow to face him. Red stepped back, surprised. This explained why he did not hear footsteps. It was actually expected from his clever brother. 

His brother. The monster in front of him. Red was not blind. He was still able to recognize his own brother. The Papyrus that grew up in underfell. With his armor and that scar across his eye. Edgy. Dark. Dangerous. The thought surprised him. When was the last time he considered his brother dangerous to him? Too long for him to remember.

He could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Wasn’t Edge supposed to be on a date with Stretch? What was he doing here? 

Edge slowly approached him. Suddenly, Red wanted to run away. He did not understand why. Old instinct? This monster attacked him. He had every right to run away. But it was his brother. He knew that he could trust his own brother. Despite everything that happened in Underfell, he knew that he could always trust Edge.

“Boss! What are you…” 

He was unable to finish his sentence as Boss grabbed him by the collar, lifting him easily. By reflexes, Red grabbed his arms, his legs helplessly moving under him. Edge brought their skulls closer. He was angry. Really angry. Red did not remember when he saw his brother this angry against him. And when he had been, he had always known why. Now, he had no clue. The whole situation confused him.

“Where were you fucker?!” Edge slowly said, barely contained anger in his voice.

Red blinked. His voice… Something felt wrong with his voice. It was not normal. This monster sounded like Edge but was not quite him. Red looked at him in the eyes. Something was missing. He could feel it.

This was not his brother. This was not the monster he loved and raised. It was merely a pale copy. It lacked the love and care they felt for each other. Every time Boss had been a huge asshole to him, Red had always been able to see that. He knew that whatever happened they will always care deeply for each other.

He teleported a few step away from that monster. The skeleton looked at him with confusion. He was surprised that Red actually escape his grip. What? Did he expect him to just that stay there without protest? They looked at each other in silence, unmoving. Each of them waiting for the other to do something. And that “fake” Edge seemed to finally realise that something was wrong. 

“You’re not my brother….” He whispered.

Red thought quickly. It must be, it had to be, another timeline. That was the only explanation. This Edge came from another universe. But, this universe was so close to his own. He had only met very different versions of himself. And now, this Papyrus was so close to his own. So close that they probably shared a similar past. So close that he mistook him for his brother. It was disturbing to think that he confused a complete stranger with his own brother. And that a complete stranger mistook him for his brother.

“Where is he?!” The other Edge asked. He still looked angry.

Red felt like he could easily hurt him.This Papyrus must be from a world similar to Underfell after all. It was easy for him to kill. But it bothered Red to think that this monster would attack him despite the fact that he probably looked like his brother. Himself was not certain if he was able to hurt that monster. He looked too much like Edge. He could not get over the feeling that he was hurting his brother. And it would break his soul. So no fight. Even if that monster looked ready to do so.

“Look, I don’t…”

“Red?” 

Surprised to suddenly hear his boyfriend voice, he turned around. Sans stood there, confusion on his face. He must have started to be worried. He must have been looking for him. And Red had been so focused on this Papyrus that he had not heard him approaching.

“Am I interrupting something?” Sans carefully asked. He really felt like he did interrupt something important. But why it looked like they were about to fight? “Do you need anything Edge?” Why would he be here now? If this was not important he would have called.

Sans walked towards Red. The moment he moved, the other Edge materialised a bone in his hand. The sudden hostility startled Sans. He stopped moving, halfway to his boyfriend, and glanced at him. Did Edge just threaten him?

“That’s not… my brother.” Red explained.

“Oh…” Sans was quick to understand. He was starting to get used to it.This monster was yet again another version of Papyrus. And this time, it seemed that he was from another Underfell universe. He held back a sigh. He really loved Red and was a good friend with Edge, but another monster from that awful universe was clearly not what he had wished for. These monsters were so unpredictable and violent at first. He did not like it.

The other Edge kept looking at them both. As if he was not sure who would attack him first and wanted to be ready for each scenario. He did not know that none of them wanted to start a fight. Even if they would probably win.

“We can help you to find your brother if you come with us,” Red suggested. It was only a suggestion. But in the end, that Edge would need to follow them. They could not leave a possibly violent monster on own in this peaceful world. Moreover, he actually did not have a real choice. What could he do alone in that unknown world?

“Why should I trust you?”

The other Edge looked still very tensed and ready to attack. Red and Sans looked like his brother but he was still not able to trust them. Red could see it and he knew perfectly how to change his mind. He knew how Edge worked and this monster was like his brother.

“Come on.” He said. “You have no choice but to trust us. You can’t fight us, you don’t know our true power or if we have any allies. You can’t wander alone on this world either. You don’t know it. You could be hurt or worse. And you don’t want that, do you?”

Red honestly thought that this monster was more dangerous than this world but without a bit of persuasion, this monster would never follow them willingly. The other Edge seemed to think about it. Red knew he was right. He will accept.

The monster nodded.

“I’ll follow you. But that doesn’t mean that I trust you.”

“Fine by me.”

♦

Leaning on the cinema wall, Stretch was casually waiting for his lover. He and Edge were supposed to go on a date together. And for once, Stretch did arrive early. It was not something he did often, much to Edge’s despair. Most of the time, Stretch meet him late but with some flowers and Edge forgave him, knowing that he could not change his lover. However, Stretch realised that last time he did really bad. Meeting Edge with 40 minutes late had been rude and selfish. He truly regretted it.That was why this time, he was the first one arrived. He hoped to surprise his mate and maybe that it would make up a little for his stupidity. 

Stretch glanced at his phone, wondering what time it was. Edge won’t be long from now. But Stretch actually did not mind waiting. He liked the peaceful atmosphere. The cinema was on the edge of the city and they planned to see an unpopular movie. This explained why there was nobody around. He was alone and it was quiet. He did not mind waiting in the snow either. Skeletons monsters were not too sensitive to cold. Stretch closed his eyes. He could almost fell asleep… 

He suddenly opened his eyes when he heard footsteps. Edge? No. It was not Edge, despite being a monster from Underfell. ‘What was Red doing here?’ Stretch wondered. He stared silently at his friend for a few moments. Red was walking slowly, throwing quick glance all around. He looked almost lost and scared that someone would jump on him by surprise. But why? They were currently in the Undertale world but Red came here often. He should know the city. Stretch knew that he and Sans had a few dates in this city. It was almost disturbing to see him on the edge like this. Despite this, he did not seem to notice Stretch. That was weird. He was just there. Even if Red was focused on something else, he could have at least acknowledged his presence. Maybe he was looking for his brother? But why didn’t he just text him to know where he was? Stretch and Red were friends but sometimes Stretch found it hard to understand him.

“Hey, Red!” He called. That way Red would finally see him. They could wait for Edge together.

But Red did not react. Maybe he did not hear him? It was unlikely. The was still no sounds around. 

“Red?” He tried again, a little louder. There wasn’t anyone else. Even if Red was lost in thought, he should understand that he was calling him. And Red actually glanced at him briefly this time. Stretch smiled and waved his hand as a small “hi!”. “Come here buddy!” Stretch said.

Red had stopped walking away, but he was still wasn’t moving towards him. He kept watching Stretch, surprise and confusion on his face. Stretch idly wondered what he was wearing. A hoodie and a pair of jeans. The usual. Nothing could justify the strange look on Red’s face. It was almost as if Red did not expect him to be here. He should know that Stretch and Edge were going to the cinema tonight though. The Underfell brother felt more comfortable knowing where the other was. And after living in Underfell, Stretch found it understandable.

“You look like Boss but you aren’t Boss…” Red muttered. It was not intended to Stretch but he still heard it. This sentence was weird… but completely right, yes. He and Edge were alike physically. This was not what bothered Stretch. What bothered him was that he had already heard that. It was the first words Red said to him when they first met.

Stretch remembered perfectly that day. Before he could say anything, Red had looked at him and said : “You look like Boss but you aren’t Boss…”. The words were filled with confusion and arrogance. As if Stretch was not worthy of looking like “Boss”. But Stretch also remembered that sparkle of excitement in Red’s eyes. Red had been really excited to found out about different timelines.

It was so unlike now. This Red was so… unlike Red. He felt so weird. It felt like they were meeting for the first time. Stretch indulged the thought for a moment. What if they were meeting for the first time? He looked at him. It was Red. With the same golden teeth, the same scar on his skull. But… now that he was truly focused on him, he felt like something was wrong. Almost as if he was looking at a stranger. He could see the same weird feeling in Red’s eyes. They both felt like they meet a stranger. What if they did meet for the first time? Not meeting Red, but this… version of him.

Stretch walked closer to this Red, his scientific mind thinking quickly. He had always thought the different universes were, well, different from each other. Each universe was created by a major event that changed everything. It never crossed his mind that minor change could change a whole timeline. And that was stupid of him. Of course little change had a big impact. Maybe there was another Papyrus from Underswap, sharing his past and most of his thoughts but slightly different because they made a different choice for something mundane.  
He stopped walking, being just in front of this Red. He looked at him closely. Focus on his thoughts, he did not pay attention to Red’s slight quiver. It was strange to think that another him could exist. But he had the proof that it could happen just before him.

“Are you…” He started to ask, but someone suddenly cut him short.

“Red? What are you doing here?”

They both turned around, surprised by Edge’s sudden appearance. They were so focused on each other that they had not heard him arrive. But when Red saw Edge, he immediately went by his side. He almost hid from Stretch, as if he hoped for Edge to defend him. Stretch and Edge shared a glance, confused by this reaction. Stretch shrugged. He did not understand either. He did nothing to scare him.

Edge looked at his brother. Something felt wrong. Just by looking at him, he could feel that something was not right.

“Are you okay?” He gently asked.

Red’s eyes widened. Just as if he could not believe the true concerned in Edge's voice. As if he could not believe that Edge cared enough about him to ask. Why? Edge truly cared for him. He always did.They always took care of each other. It might not be obvious all the time for others. But they knew it. They deeply loved each other. Both would do anything to protect their brother. Always. And right now, Edge did not know why, he felt the urge him to protect him. Red seemed so vulnerable. Did something happen? 

Red did not answer. He seemed petrified, not knowing what to do when his brother acted that nice. Sure, it did not happened often. But Red must know Edge was not a heartless monster. Usually at this precise moment, Red would have smiled. That same smile that Edge hated, because it meant “I’m not fine. But I don’t want to worry you, brother.” Before he said that nothing was wrong “Boss.” And Edge would argue until his brother told him the truth. But now, nothing. Red would not smile or say anything.

“Sans? Brother?” Edge sounded more worried. Hoping that using his true name would trigger a reaction from him. 

“Edge… I don’t think that it’s your brother…” Stretch said.

What was he talking about? Of course this was his brother. It was Red. Edge was perfectly able to recognise him. They looked at each other. And Edge suddenly felt unsure. It was Red… wasn’t it? Then why did he looked so weak? Why was he so quiet? Why he suddenly felt like a stranger? This monster looked like Red. Edge could see it. But his eyes did not know the difference. His soul did. This was not his brother. 

They both stepped back, almost horrified to have mistake their brother for someone else.

“How… how is this…. Oh. Fucking alternate universe again.” Edge sighed. Of course it had to be this. 

Stretch chuckled. He knew that Edge did not like all these multiverse problems. He was pretty certain that it was because Edge never completely accepted the idea of not being the only “great Papyrus”.

This other Red made another step back and looked at them with fear in the eyes. As he was probably from Underfell, Stretch could understand. Monsters were not really nice back there. But they would not hurt him. First, Stretch did not like to fight. He was too lazy for that. Most importantly, he doubted that either of them would be able to truly fight him when he looked so much like Red. Thankfully, this Red did not look like he was going to hurt them either. He looked like he wanted to run away.

“Hey, you’re from another universe, right?” Stretch asked.

“Yes….” The other Red nodded.

“And you came here alone?” Stretch could not help but ask. Usually, whatever the universe, you could not see a Sans or a Papyrus without his brother being nearby. 

Stretch saw him hesitate. This Red probably wondered if he could tell them the truth. Stretch did not rush him. He knew that it was hard for people from Underfell to trust someone. And even if he lied to them, they will eventually find out the truth. He was uneasy with the idea of another, possibly, dangerous underfell monster out there without him knowing but he could not really force the truth out of him.

After a few seconds of silence, the other Red finally answered: 

“I’m looking for... my brother. We were separated somehow and I don’t know where he could be… ” He said, worry in his voice. 

Actually, knowing for certain that there was another, possibly, dangerous underfell monster out there was not reassuring. Specially another Edge. Stretch remembered that at first, his now mate had not been really friendly. Stretch glanced at his lover. Edge nodded. Yes.They wouldl need to find that other Edge quickly. 

Before he could ask more questions to this Red, his phone rang. A bit surprised by this sudden call, he looked at his phone. Blue’s smiling face was on it as a happy song played. Why was Blue calling him? He usually did not call or text him when he was supposed to be on a date. Blue always wanted he and Edge to enjoy themselves as much as possible without interruption. This must be serious.

“One moment.” He said to this other Red, without looking at him, as he answered to the call.

“Blue?” 

“Brother! I’m sorry to interrupt your date but could you come home?”

“Why? Did something happened?”

Blue would not have a called him useless he had no other choice. Stretch could not help but worry. As he saw the other Red in the corner of the eyes, a horrible idea crossed his mind. What if the other Edge found them and attacked them? He trusted his brother’s capacity to defend himself and Papyrus was also here to help him. However, he knew how powerful the monsters from Underfell could be.

Seeing the distress on his lover's face, Edge gently took his hand in his own and tried to reassure him with a smile. He could not hear what Blue was saying but he knew that Stretch always worried too much about his brother. He understood the feeling but Papyrus and Blue were big boys. They were able to do thing by themselves. Even if he seemed to be the only one to see it. 

“We're fine.” Blue quickly reassured him. “It's just that the machine in the basement is broken. It made weird noises, so Papyrus and I went to check on it. For a second we feared that it might explode but after some sparkles of electricity and smoke, it just shut down. We tried to restart it but it didn't work. We don’t know much about this machine, so we thought that it might be better to warn you?”

Stretch breathed out slowly. Okay. Blue and Papyrus were safe. It was a good point. But the machine’s behaviour was worrying. It could be broken. In this case, Sans, Red and Stretch would be able to repair it. But it could be worse. It was possible that the passages that they use to travel through universes closed. As much as he loved this universe, being stuck in it forever was not an enjoyable thought. He needed to check on the machine as quickly as possible. 

“Have you called Sans?” Stretch asked. He could help but it was Sans’s version of the machine. It would be better if he was there. And he would not be the only one whose date is cancelled because of all this mess. 

“Yep, Papyrus is on the phone with him right now.”

At that moment, Stretch heard Papyrus screaming something to his brother. Blue mumbled something in return before he spoke back to Stretch. 

“Sans is asking if you have found someone looking like Red?” He sounded a little confused. That was understandable. Stretch was confused too. Actually, everyone was confused.

“Yes, we did,” Stretch answered, looking at the other Red.

“Because they found someone looking like Edge who was searching his brother.”

Great. One less problem. Red and Sans were powerful. Even if that other Edge tried to attack them, Stretch knew that they were fine. And apparently, they had talked with him. Things were confused, but alright. 

“Guess you’ll explain everything once you’re back home?” Blue said. 

Stretch smiled. He knew that Blue and Papyrus did not understand much of all this science stuff and multiverse mess, but they were patient with it. And Stretch loved them for that. 

“Yes. It would be easier.”

“Great. See you soon!” 

“See ya bro.”

He hanged up.

He just wanted a peaceful date with Edge. But he guessed that it was not happening. He was a bit disappointed. And at the same time, his scientific mind was really excited. Another Universe. It was meant to happen.There was probably a lot of different universes out there. Every “Sans” was able to repair the machine and use it. Stretch knew that they would meet a lot of other universes. However, this one was really special. Instead of a whole different universe, they had meet twins of the Underfell brother. Stretch was very curious about the other Edge. And he was also curious on how they would interact.

“I’m guessing that our date is cancelled.” Edge said.

“Yes… Sorry sweetheart. We are going back home.”

Edge nodded. He understood. They could not just ignore the fact that another Red and another he arrived. They needed to deal with it as soon as possible. 

“You still owe me one.” 

Stretch chuckled. “Sure” 

They intertwined their fingers. Stretch lightly kissed Edge, before he turned back his attention to that other Red. He noticed the weird look that he was giving to them. He understood that weird look. It must be strange to see your “brother” kissing someone that was basically another version of him, but Stretch did not mention it. This Red would get used to it, rather he wanted it or not.

“They found your bro.” He told him.

This Red's face lightened up immediately. Stretch had seen that he was uneasy being with them. But the only mention of his brother seemed to have made him feel better. Stretch could not help but smile. He knew the feeling.

“Is he okay?” Red asked.

Stretch had actually no idea. He was not dead for sure, but he did not know if that other Edge fought Sans and Red. He could be hurt, though a few injuries were nothing for Underfell monsters. He nodded to this Red.

“Come with us?” Stretch stretched out his hand to invite him. “He must be home already, with our brothers.” 

This Red seemed to hesitate for a second only. He was too excited to find his brother that all his doubts disappeared. He quickly took Stretch’s hands. He just wanted to find his “true” brother as quickly as possible. Stretch smiled at him and they teleported. 

♦

Red did not like this situation. That other Edge made him feel uneasy. He could not understand why though. This monster was exactly like his brother. He should trust him implicitly. He knew Edge. Shouldn’t he know that other Edge too? But he could not. His mind still saw him as an enemy. This Edge tried to attack him. He would have hurt him if Red had not been careful enough. And that Edge could not have mistaken him for another monster. He really thought that he was his brother. He attacked him anyway. The idea unsettled him. That other Edge would have attacked his own brother. Edge would have never done that right? Edge would not hurt him like that. Red did not like this doubt inside him. That Edge was not his brother. They looked alike but they were different. Red knew it. This may be cliché but he saw it in his eyes. This Edge was not his brother.

Red sighed. He just wanted to go back home and see his real brother. This fake Edge did not replace his brother. He would never. Walking next to him, Sans gave him a reassuring smile. They were almost home. They should have been already home. But that other Edge refused to be teleported. 

Sans had tried to convince him. But Red knew that he was useless to try. This Edge did not trust them. For all he knew, they could lead him into a trap. If they walked, he would have more time to analyse his surrounding and potentials enemies. That was why Red never teleported, or took a short cut, with anyone in Underfell. It gave him too much advantage and people did not trust that. Thankfully, Sans and Papyrus’ house was not that far. They had all walked in silence. The situation was too weird to actually put words on it.

Finally, Red saw the house. It was easy to spot. Sans and Papyrus had chosen to live in a big house in the forest. The nearest neighbour was actually pretty far. But they both liked it. It reminded them of Snowdin. And Red liked it too. He did not live here all the time, but it felt like home.

As he reached the door, he felt the other Edge tensed up. He did not know what was behind the door and he did not like it. Red could guess that easily. His brother used to act the same when he arrived somewhere new. Red opened the door.

The first thing Red saw was actually himself. Sitting on the couch, next to a smiling Blueberry. That felt weird. He had guessed that this Red would be exactly like him. Otherwise, that other Edge would not have mistaken them. But this was not how he imagined it. He caught this Red’s eyes. For a second they looked at each other silently. It was not like looking at a mirror. Not really. But it was a different feeling then when he looked at Sans or Blueberry for example. He did feel a special connection between them. They shared similarities. But Red was not him. And he was not Red. No matter how close they were. He felt it. But could the others felt it?

The moment was shattered when the other Edge walked toward his brother and slammed the back of his head with his hand. This Red winced but did not complain.

“Don’t you dare leaving my side again, bastard.”

The other Red bowed his head as he muttered : “I’m sorry Boss….” 

Everyone looked at them in an awkward silence.They remembered that kind of behaviour from the Underfell brothers when they had first arrived. It was weird to see it again. But none of them said anything. Sans had been angry when he had seen Edge hit the back of Red’s skull for the first time. But it was how they used to work in public. Edge was in charge and Red followed. It was how it always had been in Underfell. All an act to protect them. Everyone thought that it must be the same for that other pair of Underfell brother.

Red could feel that it was not exactly like this for these brothers. With Edge, it had always been an act and even if it looked bad, Edge had always been careful to not hurt him too much. Just enough to keep on the act. And now, he had the feeling that this Edge purposefully hurt the other Red. But he said nothing. The situation was a huge mess. Maybe it was just all in his mind. He was not still over the fact that this Edge attacked him.

Stretch coughed a little to draw attention to him.

“Anyway, Sans. You and Red were late so I checked the machine alone. And it is broken.” He said. 

“It means that we are all stuck in this world, right?” Blue asked.

Stretch nodded. Without the machine, they could not travel through worlds. Their shortcuts and teleportations powers had a limit. And this limit was traveling between universes. With the machine broken, they were all stuck here until it was repaired. It was a bit annoying but it was not actually bad. They were in the original world, Undertale. Things were peaceful here. As long as they were not trapped here forever, he could deal with it.

“At least, the passages between worlds are intact. As soon as the machine is repaired, everyone can go home.”

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

They all turned to look at the other Red. He was still looking at the floor, as if he did not want to look at the other in the eyes. He seemed to be hesitant to talk. The other Edge put his hand on his shoulder. Red saw him squeeze his brother's shoulder. Only then the other Red kept on talking:

“My calculations were not exact. I barely repaired my machine and I decided to make a test. I thought that the original world would be easier to actually join but I must have kind of broke your machine. I’m sorry.”

“That’s not your fault,” Sans said to reassure him. “I know that it’s tempting to use that machine. As you said, we are in the original world. I guess that you are aware that they are multiple universes.”

The other Red and Edge nodded. If they were not aware of it before, they had obviously guessed as they were surrounded by other versions of themselves.

“Blue and Stretch” he pointed both of them, “here, are from what we call UnderSwap. And Red and Edge” once again Sans pointed the skeletons he just named, “are from Underfell. Which must your world too.”

“Why do you have such ridicule nicknames?” The other Edge asked. 

Was it really the only thing that bothered him? Red thought. That other him must have already explained to him the possibility of other universes. Actually, now that the other Edge had found his brother back, he seemed to much more calm about this situation. Red should be relieved about this. But he was not. Something bothered him.

“Well, we can’t call everyone Sans or Papyrus.” Sans explained. It had been obvious to them really quickly. Sans had to admit that they were ridicule nicknames. But it was what came first and it stuck. It was just something necessary if they wanted to live together. If these new Underfell brothers wanted to live here, they would need to adapt.

“We have to find nicknames for them too,” Blue said.

Yes. It was being annoying to just call them “other Edge” and “other Red”. Red was starting to understand why Sans quickly gave them nicknames. Sans was their names but it was annoying to call other people by your name. These people were “you” and yet they were not. He could understand the want to at least keep your name.

“Well, we have a Blueberry so why not call him Cherry?” He proposed with a smile. “As for you, ‘other Boss’ you can be …. Fell?” That was actually the first thing that came to his mind. The others shared a glance. They didn't see any objections.

Only the other Edge, Fell now, raised his voice :

“Why can't I be called Papyrus?”

Just like the others, he must feel that he was the only real Papyrus. From the corner of his eye, Red saw Edge flinch. He knew why. Edge had the exact same reaction when Sans had given them nicknames. It felt wrong to hear someone else saying it. Everyone seemed to feel the same way about it. Except for Stretch who seemed to have expected it. Red would need to ask him why later.

“Because I’m the original Papyrus!” Papyrus replied. He was not showing off. It was only the truth. They could do nothing about it. “You can call me Rus if it makes you feel better.”

He actually proposed it to every other Papyrus. No one called him like this though. He was the only Papyrus. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to respect it.

Fell looked at him, up and down, judging him silently. Red felt Sans tensed up next to him. Sans was never at peace when meeting someone from Underfell. Red did not blame him. He understood the feeling. Red was not worried though. He knew that Fell would not do anything. He was too smart for this. He realised that he was currently outnumbered. He needed to learn more about this world and about them to actually do something. At this precise moment, he would be dangerous. Red felt it. Edge had actually started to relax when he started to understand this world and their other us. But Red did not know how this other monster was going to react. Despite how much they were alike, Fell was not Edge. Red refused to forget it. He needed to keep an eye on him.

Fell finally looked away. He said nothing more about the nicknames. He knew that here he could not really fight it. He chose to change the subject instead.

“What now? We are just going to stay here?” The sound of his voice implied that he did not like the idea. But he knew that in this unknown world he had no other choice. He hated it.

“For a few days, yes,” Sans said. The thought did not please him either. But they had no choice. He prefered to see these two new underfell monster here than somewhere doing who knows what.

“What do you want in exchange?”

It was the second time that Fell used Edge’s words. Red decided that he hated it. It felt like they were replaying their arrival here.

“Just stay out of trouble,” Sans answered. “Undertale is a peaceful world.” And we won’t have you ruin it. He did not actually say that outloud, but everyone heard it the same.

“We should be able to repair the machine pretty quickly anyway.” Red said. He actually hoped that they would be able to repair it pretty quickly. He wanted them out of his life as soon as possible.”All of us have already worked on this machine. And if Cherry help us….”

“He won’t.”

The harsh interruption surprised Red. He was not expecting that. Fell just plainly refused that Cherry help them. Red glanced at Cherry to see his reaction. His other him was back at looking at the ground, as if he did not want to look at anyone in the eyes.

“Why?” Red asked, truly surprised. They needed Cherry’s help if they wanted to understand what happened to break the machine.Red had thought that he could understand Fell, with his knowledge of his own brother. But truly could not understand why he would refused this without even thinking about it. 

“He fucked up enough already.” Fell explained calmly, though you could hear his lack of respect for his brother’s work.

Okay. That angered Red. Science was not always perfect. There were failures. Cherry was just doing an experiment. One thing Edge had always respected was his love for science. And Red could not help but think that Fell did not respect that. Before he could say something he would regret, Stretch talked first.

“I…. I think that everyone needs to sleep now.” He said to calm everyone. He could see that both Red and Fell would not change their mind right now. It was better to drop the subject. 

Red breathed out slowly. Yes. Stretch was right. The situation was strange and stressful. They all needed to step back a little from it.

“He is right.” Edge added. “But where are they going to sleep?” He was talking about Fell and Cherry. There was a lot of room in Sans and Papyrus’ house. But was it enough?

“Fell and Cherry could take Red and Edge’s old room?” Papyrus proposed. “You’re not using it anymore, right?” 

Red and Edge had shared a room for a long time after they first arrived. And most of their stuff was still in this bedroom but Papyrus was right. They both slept with their respective lover now. This room was more of a storage for them now.

“Yeah. Sure,” Red approved. He chased the idea that they were replacing him and his brother, again. Honestly, at this point, he just wanted this whole evening to be over with.

“Let me show you where it is,” Papyrus said with enthusiasm.

“I’m going to help you!” Blue added. Papyrus did not need help to show around the house. Blue knew that. But he also knew that Sans and Stretch would prefer them not to be alone with these underfell monsters.

Papyrus and Blue moved towards the stairs, Fell and Cherry following them without a word.

As soon as they were not in sight, Sans sat down on the couch with a sigh. He relaxed a little. Red sat next to him and took his hands between his own.

“Are you okay?” He could feel that his boyfriend was still very tense. He slowly rubbed his hands. Sans smiled at him, appreciating the relaxing gesture. Red was aware that the situation stressed him. He understood why. Underfell monsters were dangerous. Sans hated that they could destroy their peace. Red hated it too, however it was special for Sans. It was his world after all.

“I’m fine. Thanks. But I should be the one asking you that.”

“Yeah, they look so much like you. It feels weird to us, but how do you feel about it?” Stretch asked. He turned to Edge who had been strangely silent through all this.

“They are us.” Edge softly said, not looking at either of them. He actually did not know how to feel about this. It was really weird to see someone who looked exactly like him, who sounded exactly like him. But it was not was bothered him the most. It was the way Fell treated Cherry.

He knew that how he treated Red was all an act. It has always been. It was necessary in Underfell. Everyone in this rotten world believed that he hated Red and that they were living together only because of their blood relationship. They were all wrong. He loved his brother. So it must be the same for Fell and Cherry. They were them. It had to be the same for them and Fell did not actually hurt his brother. Still, Edge did not like to see how he treated his brother. It made him uneasy. He should not be. Fell was him. Fell had said everything he himself had said long ago when he arrived here. They probably had small differences. But Fell was him, he saw it.

“They are not us.” Red objected. 

“It’s kind of both at the same time right?” Sans said. 

No. It was not what Red had meant. He truly meant that they were not the same. They looked alike. They looked the same. But they were not. Their friends could not see it now. Even Edge could not see it now. But Red would not change his mind. However… He was tired. Everyone was tired. There was no point in arguing now. So he said nothing. He would speak with Edge and Sans later.

Blue and Papyrus were quickly back.

“We showed them their room and they asked to be alone,” Papyrus said.

“Okay.” 

They stayed a moment in an awkward silence. It was not the first time that they met people from another universe. But this meeting had been really weird for everyone. None of them knew what to think about it.

“It’s sad that you weren’t able to finish your date,” Blue said suddenly said to Stretch and Edge. He really was sorry for them but he mostly wanted to ease the tension a little.

Stretch smiled. He understood what Blue did and followed his lead.

“Don’t worry about us Bro. We will find a way to entertain ourselves.” With that, he winked at Edge who chuckled. Yeah. They would find a way.

“What about you?” Papyrus asked, looking at his own brother and Red. “You can still go and see the star if you want.”

Unlike Edge and Stretch’s movie that was probably over, the stars were always there. 

Sans and Red looked at each other. With one glance, they were able to see what the other was feeling. And right now, they were feeling the same thing. They could not leave the house with these Underfell monsters here. Fell and Cherry probably would not do anything but they would not take the risk. 

“Nah, we are just going to watch some movies on the Tv,” Sans answered.

Red nodded. Yes. That sounded right. They would cuddle on the couch while watching dumb comedies. And if something happened, they would be there. He snuggled against his lover, 

“And you?” Sans asked Papyrus and Blue. The two of them were supposed to stay at home when their brothers were on a date. They had nothing scheduled specially but the others guessed that were probably cooking or doing some puzzles.

“Well, I should go to sleep. I want to get up early. And you Blue?”

“Same. I think that we did everything that we wanted to do for now, so I should get to bed too.”

Blue went first. Papyrus followed but stopped before taking the stairs. He turned back to look at Sans.

“Sans?” 

“Yes?”  
Papyrus looked at Sans for a second, worry in his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something important but…

“Good night,” he said instead.

Sans smiled softly. Papyrus knew that he would not talk now. And he appreciated that he was not pushing it. He was a bit stressed by the situation and Papyrus probably felt that. But Sans did not think that it was important enough to bother his brother with it.

“Good night brother,” He answered.

Papyrus nodded. And went to his room.

“We should go too,” Stretch said, smiling at his mate.

“Yes, we should.” Edge answered absentmindedly, without looking at him.

Stretch could feel that the situation was unsettling for Edge. He understood that for Edge, it was almost like seeing a ghost from his past. Stretch knew that Edge had changed so much since the first time they met. For Edge, it must be weird to see how he treated his brother, even if it was only an act, from an outsider eyes.Stretch hated that he could do nothing to help right now. They would need a few days to get used to it. After, it would be easier.

He made no comment on it though. They would need to talk about it later of course. He could not let Edge bottled up his feelings like he used to do. But for now, he just needed to make him think about something else. He cupped Edge’s face and kissed him suddenly. He felt that Edge was tensed, but he slowly relaxed in the kiss. Stretch pulled Edge closer to him. Edge, far from complaining, kissed him deeper.

Sans chuckled as Red rolled his eyes. He approved their relationship but if they could not start to make out before him he would be thankful.

The two lovers finally ended the kiss but stayed a moment in each other's arms.

“I love you,” Stretch whispered.

“Love you too,” Edge whispered in return.

They hugged a few second before taking a small step back. Stretch took his lover’s hand into his own. He gestured towards the stairs, smiling as Edge nodded. 

Stretch lead Edge by their intertwined hands. But Edge stopped suddenly. Surprised that Edge was not following, Stretch looked at him.

“I…” Edge turned to take a glance at his brother. “Wait for me?” He asked his mate.

Stretch looked at him, and then at Red. He softly smiled.

“Of course.”

He lightly kissed his hand, before he let go and went to their room. 

Edge watched him until he disappeared into their room. He then got closer to Red and put his hands on his shoulder. He suddenly looked very serious. 

“Brother,” He simply said. 

Red knew that he was asking if he was alright in their own way. And he was. Really. As everyone else, he was a bit confused by all this. The only thing was that he did not trust Fell. But, Edge could not know now. They would properly talk about it later. Now, they both needed to spend some time with their mate, just like it was planned at first.

Edge seemed to be fine with this unspoken answer. He felt that Red did not say everything. But he was mostly fine, so the rest could wait a little. They would talk properly later.

“Good night brother.” He said, with a soft smile.

“Good night.” Red answered.

♦

Sitting on the bed, Cherry anxiously watched Fell pace up and down. He did not like it. Seeing his brother so agitated made him feel uneasy. Actually this whole new world made him uneasy. He was glad that they arrived in a peaceful world. But they knew nothing about it. All this uncertainty made knots on his stomach and was heavy on his chest.

He knew that Fell was uneasy too. Fell hated when he was not in control. And he had no control over this place. He was already angry to be powerless in this world and having to accept their counterparts help did not improve his mood. Fell had spent the last ten minutes looking around the room, to find any kind of trap that could be there for them. Cherry had stayed on the bed silently. He almost wished to disappear. He felt Fell’s anger and it terrified him. He wished he could know what he thinking. Instead, the only thing he could do was to wait. 

Fell finally stopped in front of him. Cherry almost wished to be invisible so he could escape his brother's anger. But Fell did not shout. He did not hurt him. Suddenly Fell looked really calm. Somehow, it just made Cherry even more anxious. He could not know what his brother had in mind. Did he really calmed down? Or was he playing on his nerves once more?

Perfectly aware of Cherry’s state of mind, Fell hid a smirk and simply asked Cherry how he arrived in the house. Red was surprised by the question. But he did not protest and explained how he meet Stretch and Edge, and that they teleported here. And then waited for him, Sans and Red in the living room.

“You should not have trusted them,” Fell growled. His brother had made such a stupid mistake. Had not he repeated over and over to not trust anyone? “You could have fallen into a trap.” 

“I…” Cherry tried to say something, but under his brother’s angry sight, he could not find the words.

Cherry had learned that he could not trust anyone in their dangerous world. Fell had repeated it many times. But they were them. Literally. These people were other versions of themselves. Why would they kill themselves? Cherry only saw scientific interest in Stretch’s eyes. Not the Alphys kind of way, where Cherry was always scared of ending on her experiment table. And Edge had arrived. Looking like Fell. Looking exactly like his own dangerous brother. But Edge had been so nice to him. How could he have not trusted him?

“Do you think that they won’t betray you when they will start to know you? This is a peaceful world. They won’t accept the things that you did.” Fell said.

Cherry shivered. The things he did back in their world. The things he did in his brother’s name. The people he killed in his brother's name. He still felt their dust in his hands. He did not regret it. He did it for his brother. He did it to survive. That was how their world worked. But, here, maybe he could stop doing it. 

“Well Red….” He started. Red was like him. A little stronger it seemed. But still. They had accepted Red. Red probably had to kill to survive in his own world. They had accepted Red why would they not accept him?

“Don’t,” Fell growled again. His anger was back. He was not shouting, but Cherry felt like he did anyway. “I said that you could not trust them. Are you really going to argue with me?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Cherry looked away, his eyes closed tightly. He could not stop his body from quivering. Only a few words from Fell and fear had taken over him. He was so ready to be hit. Fell left him a few seconds in expectation before he slowly cupped his cheeks. Cherry flinched away a little but did not move.

“It’s okay. I understand.” Fell whispered softly. His voice was sickly sweet. He slowly stroked Cherry’s cheek. Cherry stayed tense for a few seconds before he slowly relaxed in the touch. “You’re lost.This new world confuses you.”

Cherry nodded quickly. Yes. It was it. He would never, ever, contradict him otherwise.

“That’s okay Sans.” Fell repeated. “You just need a little reminder.”

Fell let his hands slid on Cherry’s face until he was grabbing his neck. He applied some pressure. Just enough so Cherry knew that he could choke him without hesitation. 

“I’m the only one you can trust. I’m the only one who knows you and still loves you.” Fell whispered. He had said these words before. He will keep on saying them, over and over. Until Cherry could never, ever, forget them. Until he never doubted them like he did today. “I’m the only one who cares about you.”

Cherry closed his eyes. Fell was the only one that mattered. The only one he could trust. Because the others would betray him at some point. They would never stay forever by his side like Fell would. Fell had proved it to him. Fell was right. He was always right.

“I know Boss. I know. I’m sorry.” 

Fell smiled, unseen by Cherry. He was pleased with himself. His brother was so well trained. He lightly kissed his forehead but kept his hands around his neck.

“Good boy.” He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from “Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene” by Hozier :D


End file.
